Greater Friendship Baptist Church FFF
Dr. Derrick L. Miles, Pastor
Growing Up Spiritually
The Stages of Growth.
- God wants us to ___________________________ into maturity.
2. The normal state for all ___________________________ things is to grow according to their internal programming (seed). If we are not growing something's wrong.
3. God’s ___________________________ for us in Ephesians 4:13-16 is that: “we all come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; no longer children, tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine,.. but may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ-from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body...in love.”
4. It is God who gives the ___________________________(1Corinthians 3:6).
5. We will grow in grace as we walk in ___________________________ with God and receive the supply of His life.
6. The process of spiritual growth is ___________________________ to natural growth. Words used to describe stages of childhood are also used for believers in their spiritual growth as children of God
- '___________________________' = 'a new-born baby' (Luke 2:12; 1 Peter 2:2).
b. ___________________________ = 'one without power of speech', a baby up to two years (Matthew 21:16; 1Corinth 3:1, Hebrews 5:13, Ephesians 4:14). Babies are innocent (no past), teachable and also selfish. They are focused on their own needs and are easily upset if their needs are not met. They are very dependant on others.
c. '___________________________' = 'a little child' - pre-teen (from 3-8 years old)
(1 John 2:1, Galatians 4:19).
d. ___________________________ = 'a child' (from 8 to 14 years) (John 1:12, Romans 8:16; Ephesians 5:1; 1 John 3:1,2). This involves adolescence - a time of great growth and change. There is a danger of overconfidence and pride in their new found maturity, strength and knowledge. They are still very vulnerable to foolishness and peer-pressure. 'Children of God' emphasises the fact that we are born of our Father God above.
e. ___________________________ has no corresponding English word. It is translated as 'SON' and means a fully grown, fully mature son (Romans 8:14,19, Matthew 5:9,44,45; 2Corinthians 6:17,18). To be a 'huios (SON) of God' speaks of our coming to perfection (maturity). The focus is not on our birth, but on the end result. It means to be perfected in love, to be like Jesus. When a father considered that his son had reached the point of responsible manhood, he formally and publicly proclaimed him as his SON (huios) and often gave him a special cloak and a signet ring (symbolizing the father’s power and authority) to show that He now represented His father and could do business on his behalf. This happened to Jesus at His Baptism (Matthew 3:16,17). His Father proclaimed: “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.” He clothed with the power and anointing of the Holy-Spirit and authorized (sent) Him to fulfill His ministry (Luke 4:18)
7. Physical growth happens to all at a similar rate. But _____________________ growth is not as automatic as this. You can have Christians 10 years old and more still in diapers! It is OK for a baby to act as a baby but not for a 20 year old to suck his thumb! It means they haven't grown as they should. Their response patterns are still childish, because they have not developed mature ways to handle problems. We should be well past the baby stage after 2 years.
8. Paul often found believers were still ___________________________ when they should have grown up: “Brethren, I could not speak to you as to spiritual (mature) people but as to carnal (flesh-ruled), as to BABES in Christ. I fed you with MILK and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere (Adamic) men?” (1Cor 3:1-3).
9. Spiritual babies are ___________________________(selfish) and this shows in immature reactions to people and situations (envy and strife). If babies feel bad they make a fuss and blame others. They are focused on personalities rather than the Word (1Corinthians 3:4).
10. Paul realized they were not ready for the ___________________________ of the Word, but as babies needed spiritual MILK. As with natural growth spiritual growth depends a lot on the right diet. The Word of God is our spiritual food necessary for growth.
11. Growth comes by food and exercise, by ___________________________ and doing the Word. As we hear and then build our life on the word, putting it into everyday practice, we grow into maturity.
12. In Hebrews we see ___________________________ who have heard a lot of teaching, but are still babes because they have not applied it to their lives: “We have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. By this time you ought to be teachers (spiritual adults), but you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and have come to need MILK not SOLID FOOD. For he who partakes only of MILK is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a BABE. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age (mature), who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:11-14).
13. The ___________________________ is the basic principles and teachings of the Word. As we receive the milk and live on it, we absorb it's strength and are built up to a place of maturity where we can eat solid food.
14. As parents ___________________________ their children how to think and act in a more 'grown-up' way, so likewise God by His Word teaches us.
15. The MILK is compared to a building's ___________________________ which must be laid as the first step in its 'growth' upwards.
16. In building the house of our life to ___________________________ God we must know and apply these basics or we will stay spiritual babies. The building of our character (spiritual growth) is like the building of a house.
17. The Milk of the ___________________________ s the material we use to build the foundation of our spiritual lives. It is essential for growth. Thus: “As new-born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).
18. Babies have such a ________________for milk, for they know they need it to grow. We should never lose our hunger for the Word of God for it is the source of our growth.
19. To better understand our ___________________________ growth we must understand our SPIRITUAL BIRTH.
20. A key law of creation is that everything r ___________________________ after its KIND (see Genesis 1).
21. The same is true ___________________________(John 3:6). God created men, animals and plants with SEED within them. This SEED contains their very own nature, their spiritual genetics (DNA), their blueprint.
22. The ___________________________, correctly planted produces something of the same KIND or NATURE as the original. The offspring (son) has the same nature as the father, which is why in the Bible 'son of' generally means 'to share the same nature as.'
23. The amazing thing is that we are ___________________________ OF GOD (John 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:3; James 1:18; Titus 3:5; John 1:12,13).
24. We are BORN ___________________________ from DIVINE SEED - THE WORD OF GOD: “Born again not of corruptible SEED but (of) INCORRUPTIBLE (SEED) through the WORD OF GOD which lives and abides forever” (1Peter 1:23).
25. God is our actual ___________________________ We are born of His seed! When the seed (word) of God was planted (accepted) in our heart a new thing was begotten within us - A NEW SPIRIT, the NEW MAN (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). “If anyone is in Christ - a new creation! old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new. All things are of God” (2Corinthians 5:17,18)
26. Like a baby this ___________________________ person has no past, his sins are remitted and has a new start.
27. The reborn spirit is made from ___________________________ seed which is perfect and incorruptible. “Whatever has been BORN OF GOD (the new-man) does not sin, for His SEED remains in him; and he can not sin, because he has been BORN OF GOD” (1 John 3:9).
28. Spiritual growth is the growth of what God has done in our _________________ into our SOUL (mind) and BODY.
29. It is the life and nature of the SEED ___________________________ our whole character (ways of thinking and acting) according to it's blueprint, so that the Divine Nature of love dominates our whole being. The nature of our spirit is “love, joy, peace...” (Galatians 5:22).
30. ___________________________ growth is not the growth of our spirit in size, but in its expression and control of our character. As we grow more of the life and nature of our reborn spirit is expressed through our soul and body).
31. Trusting in the flesh (mere human effort and energy) is of no avail (John 6:63). Flesh produces flesh but spirit produces spirit (John 3:6). Spiritual growth comes from the energy of the Word and the Spirit (John 6:63).
32. “What matters is the ___________________________ (Galatians 6:15). What matters for spiritual growth is being born again, knowing it and living out from the new creation.
33. What is of the ___________________________ (the leaves) will ultimately be destroyed and what's left of us (the fruit) will be what's been produced by the Word (seed) and Spirit of God (1Peter 1:23-25).
34. So: “As new-born babes, ___________________________ the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).